phuketlifelog

Phuketlifelog

Living in Phuket — solo, and honest about what it costs.

Dusk over the water on Phuket's east coast — hills in silhouette with a hilltop Buddha, longtail boats moored offshore, and the first town lights coming on
Laem Din sea viewpoint, east coast — 21 September 2025, 18:44. My own photo.

Living where other people go on vacation. I live here on my own and write down what it actually costs — dated baht from my own records, not an average of strangers.

A month, all in
฿50,000 median of 17
My rent
฿25,000 29㎡
One electricity bill
฿1,019.40 June 2026

Those are mine, not a calculator’s — here is where each one comes from. I’m not trying to talk you into it: deciding it isn’t for you is a good outcome too.

Kai Nakamura · Living in Phuket since 2024
No fake reviews · only verified numbers

Moving here — the whole thing, in order

  1. Decide

    Whether you can, what it costs, and where.

    1. What does a month actually cost?The Real Cost of Living in Phuket in 2026 — I Budgeted ฿40,000. I Actually Spend ฿50,000.
    2. Can I legally stay long enough for this to be a life?Thailand Elite vs the DTV in 2026: ฿1,500,000 or ฿10,000 — I Hold the Expensive One
    3. Which part of the island would I live in?Where to Live in Phuket (2026): Pick Your Budget, Not Your Beach — and Why ฿25,000 Buys Two Different Lives

  2. Land

    The first month, and the money that leaves your account in it.

    1. How do I sign for a place?Renting a Condo in Phuket (2026): One Week, ฿75,000 Down, and ฿0 to the Agent
    2. How do I get baht without losing money?Exchanging Money in Phuket (2026): The Rate I Actually Got, and How to Check Any Booth in Ten Seconds
    3. How do I get online — and stay online?Phone and Internet in Phuket (2026): ฿2,500 a Year for Mobile, ฿0 for Home Wi-Fi — and the Conditions Nobody Mentions
    4. What do the bills come to?What Utilities Actually Cost in a Phuket Condo (2026) — and the Rule That Caps What Your Landlord Can Charge

  3. Settle in

    Turning a stay into an ordinary life.

    1. What if I get hurt?Do You Need Health Insurance in Phuket? An Uninsured Resident's Honest Take (2026)
    2. How do I get around?Renting a Scooter in Phuket (2026): A Resident's Honest Guide
    3. How do I ride legally?How to Get a Thai Motorcycle Licence as a Foreigner (2026): A Resident's Walkthrough
    4. What happens when something breaks?A Light Died in My Phuket Condo: It Wasn't a Bulb — and Fixing Both Cost ฿268

  4. What it's actually like

    Once the arithmetic works, this is the part you're really buying.

    1. What does living here alone actually feel like?Is Living Alone in Phuket Lonely? What Every Guide Gets Wrong About the Question

Just visiting first?

Karon beach at sunset, looking south — the sun just above the horizon over the Andaman, the wooded headland that separates Karon from Kata at the left with buildings among the trees, the islet of Koh Pu beyond its tip, people swimming in calm water, and footprints across wet sand in the foregroundWhere to stayWhere to Stay in Phuket (2026): Kata, Patong, Karon or Old Town — Who Each One Suits9 min readA wide beach at Karon under a grey monsoon sky, with breaking surf, a scattering of people standing in the water, and a red warning flag on the grass strip at the back of the sandWhen to goThe Best Time to Visit Phuket in 2026 — Skip September, and Ignore the Month-by-Month Monsoon Rankings12 min read

More guides

Living hereThe DTV Wants ฿500,000 and a Paper Trail. Mine Wanted a Passport Copy.10 min readGetting aroundGetting Around Phuket: What I Actually Use, and the Day It Stops Working9 min readLiving soloIs Phuket Safe? After Two Years Living Here, the Risk Is the Road — Not the Crime9 min read